Dental Education News: March 2021
Highlights
Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College Opens State-of-the-Art Konikoff Digital Dental Studio

Thanks to a million-dollar gift from philanthropist and dentist Dr. David Konikoff and his family, the Touro College of Dental Medicine has officially opened the doors to its highly anticipated Konikoff Digital Dental Studio located within Touro Dental Health, the clinical training facility at 19 Skyline Drive in Hawthorne, N.Y. Read more.
NYU College of Dentistry: Leading the Way: NYU Dentistry Implements Robot-Assisted Dental Implant Surgery

New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) has become only the third U.S. dental school to acquire, install, and use two surgical robotic devices for dental implant surgeries. These devices will provide an opportunity for the College’s pre- and postdoctoral students to learn how state of-the-art robotic technology, with its accuracy and precision during dental surgery, can augment and enhance clinical practice and patient care. Read more.
Oral Health Care Access
NYU College of Dentistry: School-Based Dental Program Reduces Cavities by More Than 50 Percent

A school-based cavity prevention program involving nearly 7,000 elementary school students reduced cavities by more than 50 percent, according to a study led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry. The findings are published March 1 in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Read more.
Research
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Oral Symptoms Common in Children With COVID-Linked Inflammatory Disorder MIS-C

Although children infected with COVID-19 typically have mild or no symptoms, a small percentage have developed a condition known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C. As its name suggests, MIS-C affects multiple organ systems—the mouth being one such system—and in some cases is severe enough to warrant hospitalization. Faculty and residents at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) sought to characterize oral issues linked to MIS-C by cataloging symptoms in the mouth and throat. Read more.
Awards and Grants
Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: Ann Nasti Honored With Prestigious Award for Teaching Excellence in Dentistry

Ann Nasti, DMD, associate dean for clinical education in the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Stephen H. Leeper Award for Teaching Excellence by Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU), the National Dental Honor Society. According to OKU, the award “recognizes dental educators who have displayed exemplary standards in dental pedagogy while demonstrating vision and advancement in dental education. Read more.
NYU College of Dentistry: NYU Oral Cancer Center Awarded NIH Grant to Study Interplay Between Oral Cancer and Nerves

NYU Oral Cancer Center has been awarded a five-year, $3.1 million grant (R01 CA231396) by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The principal investigators, Donna Albertson, PhD, and Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, seek to improve oral cancer treatment and alleviate pain by better understanding how a subset of nerves that possess a receptor called TRPV1 on the cell membrane contribute to cancer progression and pain. Read more.
Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester Awarded Grant to Build Smartphone App

Thanks to new federal funding and support from Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, the University of Rochester’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health is teaming up with other UR experts to build a smartphone app to detect severe tooth decay, the most chronic childhood disease that disproportionately afflicts vulnerable parts of the population. “It is critical that all New Yorkers have access to quality health and dental care,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who announced the grant on his website. Read more.
Faculty News
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Two CDM Alumnae to Lead New York County Dental Society

On Feb. 24, 2021, the New York County Dental Society (NYCDS)—one of the largest groups of practicing dentists in the country—installed its newest executive committee. Two members of the five-person committee are Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) alumnae: Lois A. Jackson, DDS’77, Peds’80, is president, and Mina C. Kim, DDS’10, is vice president. For the first time in the society’s 160-year history, the executive committee is composed entirely of women. Read more.
More News
Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: Man With Rare Condition Has 21 Baby Teeth Removed 

Jeffrey Cookinham has to remind himself that it’s okay to smile now. And that he no longer has to break up much of his food, like a bagel, before he eats it. Jeff's condition prevented 21 of his adult teeth from forming. Because after 34 years of doing just that, it’s been a hard habit to break. He was born with Ectodermal Dysplasia, a complex inherited disorder that often involves defects in the hair, nails, sweat glands and teeth. Read more.